A method of the type mentioned above is used for the rehabilitation of pipelines, in particular of main pipes and/or branch pipes, in the area of the sewerage system. By inserting such a lining element, in particular leaking and defective sections of pipes, and in particular of pipe joint portions, can be rehabilitated. In the process, the lining element is permanently connected to the inner wall of the pipe to be rehabilitated. To this end, the lining element is provided with an adhesive and pressed against the inner pipe wall and hardened. A hardenable resin, in particular, is used as an adhesive.
The lining element most frequently comprises a substrate layer consisting of a resin-absorbing material, in particular a non-woven or a fiber material. Prior to the insertion of the lining element, the substrate layer is impregnated with the resin.
Subsequently, the lining element is brought by means of a rehabilitation device into its final position in the region to be rehabilitated. The rehabilitation device is also referred to as a packer. In order to press on and/or harden the lining element to the inner pipe wall, the known inversion methods, which can also be referred to as eversion methods, in particular, are then used. After the resin has hardened, the lining element rests against the inner pipe wall with a substance-to-substance connection.
A calibrating tube, which is configured to be expansible and inflatable, and which, in the inflated state, has the approximate size and shape of the pipe section to be rehabilitated, is most frequently used in the inversion method. The calibrating tube is pushed onto the rehabilitation device and fastened at each end to the rehabilitation device by means of clamping collars, so that an air-tight connection is produced. Then, the resin-impregnated lining element is placed on the calibrating tube. Moreover, the lining element can be pressed against the inner pipe wall also without using a calibrating tube. For this purpose, the lining element is preferably closed in the region of the branch pipe.
The lining element is inverted, pressed on and/or hardened while charging the calibrating tube and/or the lining element with a medium. In order to initiate the external reaction process of the resin, the calibrating tube is most frequently charged with water vapor. In order to obtain an optimal installation result, it is necessary to detect and evaluate the pressure and/or the temperature required for inversion, pressing-on and/or hardening, in order to increase or reduce the temperature and/or the pressure, if necessary. In order to detect the above-mentioned physical quantities or parameters, it is known to provide the lining element with sensors.
For example, a lining element is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,426 B1, which is provided with a plurality of temperature sensors that measure the temperature at the interface between the outer face of the lining element and the inner face of the pipe wall during hardening in order thus to determine the hardening temperature.
In addition, it is known from WO 2014/022097 A1 to provide the lining element with a transmitter comprising an RFID chip and a sensor. Physical quantities, such as, for example, pressure and temperature can be measured by means of the sensor during pressing-on and/or hardening. Information about the lining element and/or the pipeline to be rehabilitated is stored on the RFID chip, such as, for example, the duration and date of the repair process, the material used for the repair process and/or the position of the location to be rehabilitated within the pipeline. The measured physical parameters and the information stored on the RFID chip are then transmitted to a computer and evaluated. The evaluated data can then be stored for documentation purposes or printed out on paper. Furthermore, the measured physical parameter and the information stored on the RFID chip can also be read out after hardening by a robot inserted into the pipeline.